· Introduce and situate:
-Created by writer/artist/musician, programmer Mx. Dietrich/Deirdra Squinkifer (Squinky) Kiai (game title "Quing" similarly disrupts King/Queen binary)
- Kiai named one of Forbes magazine's "30 Under 30 in Games" in 2015
-created in response to an invitation to participate in Ruin Jam (August, ’14); a whimsical game jam resulting from tensions related to the identity of games and gamers. Below, Ruin Jam 2014‘s tongue-in-cheek explanation of what was ruining video games:
Parody of 1980s "King's Quest" series:
· Dimensions/affordances:
-web-based
-HTMLS
-JavaScript
-Twine w/sound effects, music, and commentary - The game was built in Twine, because according to Squinky “…nothing says 'hey, that’s not really a game!' like Twine,”(Source)
-this is a twine, so players are presented with options throughout the game
-options appear as highlighted (by contrasting colors) words in the narrative text
-selecting a highlighted word leads to choices of color, clothing styles, hair-styles and location, for example
-sometimes the player must search for just the right option in order to advance the narrative
-some options lead to circular navigation; leading back to the beginning set of options
-There is an end
· Analysis/Interpretation
- A pleasant experience with more depth than is apparent initially. Has the feel of someone experimenting with a prototype. The simplistic fantasy-like storyline of exiles from the planet of Videogames, embeds social issues such as gender inequality and some postcolonial sentiments.
- The experience became more interesting as the narrative advanced. Music was soothing and upbeat except when the home planet of Videogames was mentioned. Appropriate sound effects during emergency situations.
· Connection to class discussion - Early example of the potential of this medium to manage social issues, humor, and emergent technology. Incorporates Twine's integrative choices into central message that reader should be celebrated for whatever choices he/she embraces in and out of the digital realm.
- Good example also of integration of affordances (?) including sound effects, music, and graphics.
· Pedagogy
This piece is useful in a lesson teaching the creation of twines. It stands as an example of how one artist managed to create this piece and as a challenge to the student of ways to create more meaningful and socially relevant experiences.
Questions:
- Kiai described the game as “…a silly, over-the-top power fantasy.” And yet consider this user comment: "In a game where your choices don’t matter at all, it was strange to find myself feeling empowered at the completion" (Source). Did you experience or do you have observations regarding this contradiction?
- Literature - Art - Game: Which did this most feel like? Which do think the author most aspired to?
Quing’s Quest VII: The Death of Videogames
· Introduce and situate:
-Created by writer/artist/musician, programmer Mx. Dietrich/Deirdra Squinkifer (Squinky) Kiai (game title "Quing" similarly disrupts King/Queen binary)
- Kiai named one of Forbes magazine's "30 Under 30 in Games" in 2015
-created in response to an invitation to participate in Ruin Jam (August, ’14); a whimsical game jam resulting from tensions related to the identity of games and gamers. Below, Ruin Jam 2014‘s tongue-in-cheek explanation of what was ruining video games:
Parody of 1980s "King's Quest" series:
· Dimensions/affordances:
-web-based-HTMLS
-JavaScript
-Twine w/sound effects, music, and commentary
- The game was built in Twine, because according to Squinky “…nothing says 'hey, that’s not really a game!' like Twine,” (Source)
-this is a twine, so players are presented with options throughout the game
-options appear as highlighted (by contrasting colors) words in the narrative text
-selecting a highlighted word leads to choices of color, clothing styles, hair-styles and location, for example
-sometimes the player must search for just the right option in order to advance the narrative
-some options lead to circular navigation; leading back to the beginning set of options
-There is an end
· Analysis/Interpretation
- A pleasant experience with more depth than is apparent initially. Has the feel of someone experimenting with a prototype. The simplistic fantasy-like storyline of exiles from the planet of Videogames, embeds social issues such as gender inequality and some postcolonial sentiments.- The experience became more interesting as the narrative advanced. Music was soothing and upbeat except when the home planet of Videogames was mentioned. Appropriate sound effects during emergency situations.
· Connection to class discussion
- Early example of the potential of this medium to manage social issues, humor, and emergent technology. Incorporates Twine's integrative choices into central message that reader should be celebrated for whatever choices he/she embraces in and out of the digital realm.
- Good example also of integration of affordances (?) including sound effects, music, and graphics.
· Pedagogy
This piece is useful in a lesson teaching the creation of twines. It stands as an example of how one artist managed to create this piece and as a challenge to the student of ways to create more meaningful and socially relevant experiences.Questions:
- Kiai described the game as “…a silly, over-the-top power fantasy.” And yet consider this user comment: "In a game where your choices don’t matter at all, it was strange to find myself feeling empowered at the completion" (Source). Did you experience or do you have observations regarding this contradiction?- Literature - Art - Game: Which did this most feel like? Which do think the author most aspired to?